Both CBD and THC, which are the best-known and most medically significant cannabinoids, could act on immune functioning to trigger an anti-inflammatory response. Another review from the University of South Carolina indicated the immunological effects of cannabinoids were caused by the substances acting on cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 in the body, which induced a number of changes and led to lower levels of inflammation according to research published in the journal Pharmacological Research. Cannabis has great promise as a potential treatment for inflammatory diseases. Some research has demonstrated CBD to be effective in reducing joint inflammation and swelling. THC has been implicated in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
It’s also worth noting cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 are widely distributed in the digestive tract. If cannabis does have anti-inflammatory properties that work by acting on these receptors, it could mean it could play a role in controlling and treating inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Ester Fride strongly recommends the use of cannabinoids in pediatric medicine. She notes that “excellent clinical results” have been reported in pediatric oncology and in case studies of children with severe neurological diseases or brain trauma, and suggests that cannabis-derived medicines could also play a role in the treatment of other childhood syndromes, including the pain and gastrointestinal inflammation associated with cystic fibrosis.